I’m busy slaying my dragon.

So, I’ve abandoned this for a while due to working hard at graduate school. I have 6 about more months and then I will be done if all goes well.

 

Under Pressure

For a while I took advantage of cooking using every shortcut possible, all the while knowing the sodium content of my diet was pretty high. When I landed in the urgent care for High Blood Pressure I was not really surprised. So, for the last few weeks I’ve been making things more from scratch instead of using processed foods.

First, I didn’t order from Papa John’s. Instead I prepared my own white whole wheat pizza dough. Next, I used canned no-salt-added sauce to make my pizza. While googling no-salt-added tomatoes and other things in a can, I thought about my doctor saying that I shouldn’t eat anything out of a can. Then I kept coming across lists of canned goods that contained BPA liners. Now, I’ve switched to tomatoes from a tetra pack and tomato paste from a glass jar. I even had a few mushrooms on my pizza, which is a pretty big challenge for me, because I really dislike the texture.

Second, that led me to this list. I think the only thing I will need to find is organic potatoes. I’ve switched to organic apples already.

Making meals from scratch hasn’t been as hard as I was anticipating, but I do feel a bit more tired after dinner now. I also feel a little more entitled to help in the kitchen.

Gratitude for Christmas

I hated registration as an undergraduate, really hated it. Somehow I managed to register for two classes at two different schools. It was frustrating. It’s over!!!

I’m feeling grateful about being able to get another chance at “fixing” some grades before applying again to graduate school. I appreciate all the encouragement I have been getting from family and friends.

Other things I am grateful for are:
– being introduced to a number of activist organizations around Raleigh and being privileged enough to be able to help their efforts.

– my son (and Alley Cats and Angels, Inc.) who saved my fuzzy boy. I’ve had a “bad” case of cat lap lately, which has been keeping me warm.

– I’m going to take a writing class! Perhaps I will be able to incorporate some assignments into blogging.

– All the encouragement I’ve been getting about my soap. I’m thinking about exploring how one goes about creating an inventory and schedule, big enough to sustain an etsy store.

– and of course I’m very thankful for my kiddo who is smart, strong, courageous, and kind.

Explorations of the Academic Kind

Besides annoying my husband with my low sodium diet. I’ve got ideas. Lots of ideas. Plan A has always been teaching-speech therapy. This plan has been disrupted for quite a while now, and it is annoying me. Since finally taking the GRE again and seeing the scores I’ve had quite the Epiphany. I’d never done so well on test sections before because of not getting extra time. Looking back on my high school transcript was enlightening, because my focus has been on the struggle I had to get good grades. I forgot what kind of grades I did get. Most were B+’s and A-‘s.

I’ve been exploring a few of wake tech’s science programs (they have women in STEM/ women only science and math classes) and NCSU’s Bioprocessing Science web page. Now, I’ve convinced myself I can do enough math to do the program. I passed with a A- to B+!!!! High school Algebra, trigonometry, Chemistry, and Biology  (and no accommodations for my LD/ADHD). I’ve rationalized it by saying to myself -if Kiddo doesn’t see women in Science how will she be successful. I love chemistry—aka for food and soap/ body products. So, I’ve put this under Plan B to C.

 

DH doesn’t really like parts of Plan B. *Gulp*, I’ve thought now that I have a kid, I want to *save* myself or at least my  “kid” wits for her, because the kids I usually teach aren’t the most well behaved. They kept me sweating and on my toes constantly and, I’d rather do Math than have to tame those gremlins all day.

Says, the girl who supposedly hates math.

I really need to play coopoly–any takers?

Emma Goldman: One cool Broad

On my GRE Verbal section there was a passage about the Knights of Labor, which described how trades divided from what was considered “less skilled workers”. This was what eventually broke KOL apart. It does seem that the parties that be are using certain issues to divide us. We need something to unite us, something that will make us look past our differences to see they are illusions.

I read Daisy’s latest post on Ferguson, and I too have many feelings about the election and what is happening around the country. She is right. Not expanding medicaid in southern states will result in deaths. I wonder what else it will result in….bankruptsy, homelessness, and other things that will affect peoples’ economic security.

That’s why I am going to begin to play Coopoly. I will report back to let you know how it goes.